WDB Trust was honoured to take part in the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10–21 March 2025. As the world’s largest intergovernmental forum focused on advancing gender equality, CSW continues to be a critical space for shaping global policy and accelerating women’s empowerment.
30 Years Since Beijing: A Time for Reflection and Action
This year’s session held particular significance as it marked three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. Endorsed by 189 countries, the BPfA remains a landmark commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls across 12 critical areas, including poverty, education, health, violence, the economy, and leadership.
The CSW69 theme focused on reviewing the implementation of the BPfA while accelerating progress toward the global goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For WDB Trust, this was not only an opportunity to reflect but also to deepen our global advocacy and connect our grassroots work to broader international efforts.
WDB Trust at CSW69: Connecting Local Impact to Global Vision
Our delegation was led by our CEO, AfWID Secretariate and Communications department. The team was deeply engaged in high-level dialogues, strategic sessions, and dynamic side events, including:
- Reflecting on the progress made since the BPfA and identifying gaps that still need to be addressed.
- Hosting a side event on Women’s Leadership in partnership with Brahma Kumaris (19 March), exploring the importance of values-driven leadership for transformative change.
- Showcasing our Zenzele Development Programme’s Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model at a virtual side event, demonstrating how locally grounded initiatives can create sustainable economic and social empowerment.
- Forging and strengthening partnerships to shape the future direction of the African Women in Dialogue (AfWID) platform and bolster WDB Trust’s broader impact.
Beyond Borders: Shared Goals, Shared Purpose
Our presence at CSW69 reaffirmed what we know to be true: meaningful change begins at the grassroots, but its reach must extend across borders. While our programmes are deeply rooted in South African communities, WDB Trust’s impact spans across Africa, particularly through the African Women in Dialogue (AfWID) forum, which connects women from all walks of life from across the continent.
One of the most powerful takeaways from CSW69 was the reminder that, globally, we are all working toward the same vision — a better, more just world for women and for everyone. Whether at the local, continental, or international level, the drive for gender equality unites us in purpose and action.
